Sixth Games for Collins
WASHINGTON: Former 100m world champion Kim Collins has been named to his sixth Olympics at the age of 40 after settling issues with the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee.
“So my friends, it’s now officially been confirmed! I’m going to Rio2016,” Collins tweeted.
Collins, who won the 2003 world 100m crown at Paris, and his homeland’s Olympic officials released a joint statement on Wednesday confirming the agreement “following closure on the long-standing issues between the two parties.”
In 2012 at London, Collins was pulled from the Olympic team for missing training sessions while the sprinter said he was being punished for spending time with his wife.
“I am extremely happy that our longstanding issues have finally been put to rest and I will once again have the honour of representing my country,” Collins said.
“With this behind us, my coach and I will now continue to put our full focus on ensuring that I am in
won the 2003 world 100m.
the best shape for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”
The issues were discussed last Saturday in a telephone call between Collins, his wife and coach Paula and St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic officials.
Collins said he wanted to run in Rio again for his homeland and “removed from the table any other claims and/or applications of representation at the Rio Olympic Games,” the statement said.
“I personally welcome this new development and am pleased that Mr. Collins is now willing to compete for his country,” said St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committe president Alphonso Bridgewater, who said the two will work together with “renewed goodwill.”
Collins must sign the committee’s standard athlete contract to complete the agreement.
Collins ran in his first Olympics in 1996 at Atlanta, reaching the second round in the 100m. He made the final in 2000 at Sydney, the first athlete from his nation to reach an Olympic final, and placed seventh.
He was sixth at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games before not being able to run in London. AFP